In the Levante dock of the port of Ibiza rests a boat of 64 meters in length that attracts attention above all others for its classic look. And is that the ‘Shemara’ was built in 1938 and a year later her owner, Bernard Docker, saw her requisitioned by the British Royal Navy as ‘HMS Shemara’ for use in submarine battle training in the midst of World War II.
At the end of the war, the ‘Shemara’ was returned to its owner, who began using it for to organize tremendous parties in which even the then King Farouk of Egypt took part. But Docker got rid of his boat in 1965 by selling it to a real estate developer who did not use it much. Until 2010, when an important British businessman fell in love with the boat. He was Sir Charles Dunstone, founder and executive chairman of TalkTalk, one of Britain’s largest telecommunications companies. But it was not easy to get hold of the ‘Shemara’, as it took him four years of negotiations until its owner decided to sell it to him.
Today the ‘Shemara’ is valued at around $20 million and under the ownership of Sir Charles Dunstone has undergone a major transformation. It was dismantled in its entirety and in the process found asbestoswhich had to be removed. The interior now looks much more modern and comfortable, although certain original features have been respected as much as possible.
The ship’s machinery was completely replaced by a new Rolls-Royce diesel-electric system consisting of five main generators supplying power to two electrically driven azimuthal modules and a bow thruster. She has six cabins that can accommodate up to 12 guests and also accommodates a crew of 16.
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At first glance, it would be difficult to appreciate the difference between the old ‘Shemara’ and the new one: it retains the classic lines of the original motor yacht, with only a few tweaks. The upper deck superstructure is slightly longer to accommodate the spacious upper saloon and day bar, but in the rest of the boat hardly anything has changed: the portholes on the main deck are original and, in fact, the hull, from the wreckline to the waterline, retains the original plating. Even the new superstructure was deliberately left without fairing, giving it an authentic classic ship feel.
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